Michael Josephson   Where trust is truly important there are no little lies. Any and every falsehood demonstrates a willingness to deceive and inspires the doubt: "What else have you lied to me about?" Just like tiny germs can cause deadly infections, little lies can kill credibility. Excuses and justifications for lying are much more persuasive to the liar than the person lied to. Every undiscovered lie is like a hidden land mine ready to explode a reputation or destroy credibility. Honesty and forthrightness don't always pay, but dishonesty and concealment always cost. Nothing good may come of admitting wrongdoing, but it gets a lot worse when you don't. Lies breed like rabbits. Once you start lying, it takes an ever-growing bodyguard of new lies to protect the old ones. You can't lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar or cheater. If you "fight fire with fire," all you'll get in the end are the ashes of your own reputation.   Character Counts www.charactercounts.com download as PDF file    Return to  Home Page | Specials, Blessings & Prayers | Apple Seeds Archives |  Religious links | Gleanings | Favorites links Web graphics from Art Explosion by Nova Development.